To George Washington from Josiah Parker, 1 July 1789
From Josiah Parker
New York July 1st 1789
Sire
Major Lindsay and Captain Bedinger his deputy has forwarded to me Letters with a request that I should inclose them to you1 The first is naval officer & Collector of Elizabeth River District resident at Norfolk or Portsmouth he succeeded me in office with my full approbation and employed Captain Bedinger as his deputy who I know by experience (he haveing lived with me when in office upwards of three years) to be fully equal to any duty in that department which may be assignd to him. he is a Native of Berkeley County. Served in the Army from his early youth—was captured at Fort Washington—and was noticed by General Green in the southern department as a valuable officer, when I was appointed naval officer he was recommended to me as a deputy by Colonel Carrington and I found him fully equal to my expectation—he would not wish to surplant Major Lindsay but as there are to be a Naval officer & Collector of the District he solicits the one which Major Lindsay may not obtain.
My Brother Copeland Parker allso served me as deputy untill my resignation but as he is a young man & never had the honor to serve his Country I would not recommend him in preference to either—but as a surveyor is to be appointed he will be happy to accept of the appointment, he is well acquainted with the duties of the Office & his fidelity can be relyed on.2
Captain Thomas Bowne requests to be continued as officer at South Quay Mr Gibb at Follys landing & George Savage Esqr. at Cherrystons3—they have been in office some time and have acquired the confidence of the Executive of Virginia.
Mr J. B. Nickolls who married a Sister to Mr Swanwick of Philadelphia a Merchant at Portsmouth & a man of business has solicited me to name him to you—as desirous of being employd as Naval Officer or Collector.4
Colonel Willis Willson representative of Norfolk County who was a Captain in one of the state Ships allso desires to be named.5 As well as Colonel Thomas Mathews representative of the Borough & Speaker of the Assembly,6 they are ready to receive any appointment which you may think they deserve.
Mr Archibald Richardson Searcher at Suffolk wishes to be appointed Surveyor there & Colonel James Wells of the Militia of Isle of Wight requests to be appointed Surveyor at Smithfield.7
Colonel Finnie has allso requested me to name him as willing to be employed in any manner you may direct.8
Being sensible you will be troubled with a variety of applications and not willing to be troublesome to you have done myself the honor of nameing those persons who expect it from me—and leave the rest with great Submission to your better judgment. with the most Exalted sentiments of respect & regard sire I have the honor to be your most obedient and very humble servant.
J: Parker
Since writeing the above have received a letter from David Meade Randolph Esqr. which I do myself the honor to inclose.9
ALS, DLC:GW.
Josiah Parker (1751–1810) served in the Continental army from 1776 until he resigned in 1778 holding the rank of colonel. In that year Parker was elected to represent Isle of Wight County in the Virginia house of delegates but was declared ineligible. He was reelected in 1779, 1782, and 1783 and was appointed naval officer at Portsmouth, Va., in 1786. Parker represented Virginia in Congress from 1789 to 1801.
1. The letter from William Lindsay may have been his letter to GW of 1 June. See Lindsay to GW, 30 April 1789, source note. For Daniel Bedinger’s application, see his letter to GW, 20 May 1789.
2. GW did not give Copeland (Copland) Parker (b. 1768) a federal appointment in 1789 although Parker may have retained his minor post in the customs as an appointee of the collector. In November 1792 GW appointed him surveyor for the port of Smithfield, Va., and in December 1799 John Adams appointed him surveyor at Norfolk ( 1:125, 330).
3. Thomas Bowne served from 1777 to 1783 in various Continental regiments and was taken prisoner at Charleston in 1780. He ended the war as a captain. Mr. Gibb is probably the William Gibb who was naval officer at Accomack in 1787 ( 4:107). GW appointed Bowne, Gibb, and Savage to be collectors at their respective ports ( 1:11).
4. For James Bruce Nickolls (Nichols) and his relationship to John Swanwick, see Nickolls’s letter of application to GW, 28 April 1789, source note.
5. Willis Wilson represented Norfolk County in the house of delegates in 1785–87 and 1788–89.
6. Thomas Mathews of Norfolk represented the county in the Virginia legislature in 1781–82 and 1784–93. He was speaker of the house of delegates, 1788–93. In 1788 Mathews was Norfolk’s delegate to the Virginia Ratifying Convention.
7. In August 1789 Archibald Richardson was appointed surveyor for Suffolk and James Wells surveyor for Smithfield { 1:11).
8. For William Finnie’s application for office, see his letter to GW, 30 April 1789, and source note.
9. David Meade Randolph (c.1758–1830) farmed at Presque Isle near Bermuda Hundred on the James River. He had seen military service during the Revolution as a captain of dragoons. Randolph’s letter of 28 June, expressing interest in a customs post on the James, is addressed to Parker and is in DLC:GW. Randolph did not immediately receive a position, but in October 1791 when Edward Carrington, United States marshal for the district of Virginia, was appointed supervisor of the revenue, Randolph succeeded him as marshal ( 1:86).